St. Francis of Assisi was declared a saint nearly 800 years ago, just two years after his death. Not until much more recently — about 50 years ago — was the beloved 13th-century Italian friar called the patron of ecology.
ecology
If people do not see themselves as “caretakers of the garden of creation, we end up becoming its destroyers,” Pope Leo XIV said.
As Catholics, how should we imagine our relationship with the world? We often talk about “walls” and “doors” and “bridges” to explain how the Church should either connect to the world for the sake of evangelizing it or separate herself from the world for the sake of remaining faithful to God.
The Holy See’s diplomat to the United Nations has called for three key priorities in addressing the global crises of poverty, conflict, and climate change.
Ravaging the Earth and creating environmental injustices are not what God had in mind when he entrusted creation to humanity, Pope Leo XIV said.